Groener shrugged his shoulders. "The words are unimportant and so are the answers."
"Do you think so? Then explain this. You were answering regularly at the rate of one answer in a second or so when suddenly you hesitated and clenched your hands and waited four and two fifths seconds before answering 'feather' to the simple word 'hat.'"
"Perhaps I was tired, perhaps I was bored."
The magistrate leaned nearer. "Yes, and perhaps you were inwardly disturbed by the shock and strain of answering the previous word quickly and unconcernedly. I didn't warn you of that danger. Do you know what the previous word was?"
"No."
"It was guillotine!"
"Ah?" said the prisoner, absolutely impassive.
"And why did you waver and wipe your brow and draw in your breath quickly and wait six and one fifth seconds before answering 'violin' when I gave you the word 'music'?"
"I'm sure I don't know."
"Then I'll tell you; it was because you were again deeply agitated by the previous word 'coaching party' which you had answered instantly with 'horses.'"